Publishing was in J. Kendrick Noble Jr.’s blood. His grandfather co-founded Barnes & Noble, which would grow to become the largest bookstore operator in the U.S., and Noble & Noble publishers. That’s where the analyst-to-be began his career, in 1957, after graduating from Princeton University and the U.S. Naval Academy. Noble moved to Wall Street ten years later, covering publishing companies for F. Eberstadt & Co. before moving to Auerbach, Pollak & Richardson. When the All-America Research Team was introduced, in 1972, he captured the top spot in Publishing — and held it through 1981. He was tapped for the team 19 times through 1990. The following year, Noble left Paine Webber, where he’d worked since 1976, to launch his own media advisory firm. He passed away in January 2000.
